


Of Cornfields & Spirits

by TheRevenant



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Jack's family worships the spirits that live among the corn, M/M, Reaper76 - Freeform, Slow Burn, their deity can be a blessing or a curse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 09:36:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20758241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRevenant/pseuds/TheRevenant
Summary: His mother always taught him to respect the cornfields and the spirits living among the stalks.  Jack Morrison had grown up hearing her regale tales of the beings making their home within them; of beasts with sharp claws and even sharper teeth.  Protectors of the crops and seasonal harvests each and every year.  She'd taught him how to properly pay his respects and give them offerings that would appease them so they would continue to bless the crops they'd plant in their fields, and in their soil, on the farm.He'd grown up revering these powerful creatures he'd heard only in stories and never seen hide nor hair a day in his life.





	Of Cornfields & Spirits

His mother always taught him to respect the cornfields and the spirits living among the stalks. Jack Morrison had grown up hearing her regale tales of the beings making their home within them; of beasts with sharp claws and even sharper teeth. Protectors of the crops and seasonal harvests each and every year. She'd taught him how to properly pay his respects and give them offerings that would appease them so they would continue to bless the crops they'd plant in their fields, and in their soil, on the farm. 

He'd grown up revering these powerful creatures he'd heard only in stories and never seen hide nor hair a day in his life. 

\----

Every year, on the same night, the blond would return to pay his respects. He'd light a candle and burn incense, wandering at the edges of the stalks, listening to the whispers through the leaves. Ignoring the sweet seductive lilting voice that beckons him to wander in, to get lost among corn as he wafts smoke through the crisp night air. 

Tonight, there are no birds chirping, no owls hooting, no crickets singing their songs. If not for the strong whispers that try to lure him in, the rustling of the leaves and the snap of a twig behind him, he may have felt more alone. 

A smile creeps along his lips, blue eyes softening as he shifts, turns toward the source of the noise behind him to find an all too familiar apparition waiting for him. 

"We have to stop meeting like this," the blond beams, unperturbed by the stern look of disapproval painted across the spirit's face. His displeasure evident in the gruff tone of his voice, "and you have to stop showing up here. It isn't safe for you. Do you have any idea what could happen if you actually gave in, Morrison--" 

"Jack," the blond interrupts. 

"-- Whatever. You need to get out of here, Jack."

"And miss the opportunity to see you again? Not a chance." He replies as he kneels down in front of his makeshift altar, placing the gummy opoponax and everlasting life pearls into the mortar, crushing the pearls down to a fine powder with the pestle and mixing them with the resin like substance. He listens as the other relents, sighing in frustration as he drifts closer -- and brings the cold with him -- making Jack shudder. 

"I'm glad to see you, Jackie, really, but you need to tread carefully tonight. Make sure to cleanse your space properly. Set your crystals, call upon your light, _please_." The latino urges and there's something in his voice that tells Jack he shouldn't argue. Spurred on by the other man's worry, and the growl and rustling leaves behind him, Jack pulls a few amethysts from his satchel, along with four bits of glass that he begins to place in a circle around him. One amethyst set on the altar. Sage, he grinds up to be added to the mixture as his companion drifts into the circle, hazel eyes narrow as he places a hand on the blond's back. 

An afterthought as the man's attention is fixated on whatever creature weaves between the rows of corn, stalking. Waiting. Hand smoothing down along Jack's spine to provide comfort and reassurance that he has his back; he always does. It soothes the shivers rolling down Jack's spine as the rustling ceases and a lone howl breaks the silence and echoes into the night. 

"Gabriel?" Nervous, but not quite afraid. Gabriel always did like that about the blond; he wasn't afraid of anything. Sometimes he wasn't quite sure if he was brave or incredibly reckless. "Sounds like your guest is growing tired of waiting for you, Jackie. You might want to skip the flowery ceremonies and get straight to the offering already, lest you want to end up like your cousin last year."

Grimacing, Jack retrieves a matchbox from the small bag slung over his shoulder and resting on his hip. Striking a match on the side, heat seers his fingertips as a flame lights the tip and he sets the powdered mixture ablaze, letting it cleanse his makeshift work space. The last thing he sets on the altar is a holland lop and myrrh, eyes closing as he resumes wafting the incense through the air as the wind finally catches it and navigates it through the stalks. The coins on Jack's hip clinking together as a particularly strong burst of wind whisks past him and snuffs out the candles. Small critters flee from the corn and the rabbit on the altar has frozen in terror, small nose ceasing its twitching as dark eyes stare straight ahead. The corn parts with the aid of large fingers that end in sharp talons, a rumbling, guttural growl that starts deep in the gut and rises through the chest. The kind of growl that fills ones senses and sets of fight or flight reflexes, that make the heart pound involuntarily in ones chest.

Their guest has arrived. 

The revenant squeezes the blond's shoulder to ground him as the proud creature of the corn strides forward. Large gnarled antlers protrude from its skull, sharp with eight points on each one with thick, heavy fur covering its built frame. Powerful legs guiding it to the altar and its various offerings upon it. Eyes black as coal as they eye the kin of their devout mistress and their... guest. Something akin to disgust curls the beast's lip back from its razor sharp canines before its gaze returns to the altar, reaching out to snatch the rabbit. Sharp teeth piercing its soft belly and tearing it apart, ignoring the sounds of protest their prey makes and devours it whole. Grounding the bones between their teeth as they eye the blond, searching for any signs of uncertainly, breathing deeply to smell any signs of fear. They rear back and snarl in Jack's face to no avail.

Irritated by the lack of reaction, they pace, watching the pair who refuse to move. They do not cower, they do not step back... They do nothing but stare. How vexing. They swipe the mortar off the altar and hiss before stalking back into the corn. Next year. Next year they will swallow the man whole if he does not deliver when they are ready for the blond one's offerings. 

As the creature disappears into the fields, Jack releases the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Tremors rolling through him as Gabriel rubs along his back with a hand that doesn't quite touch him now. He'd always heard of the beast that roams through the cornfields and blesses their harvest, but he'd never truly seen it before tonight. 

"Was that--"

"Yeah. Congratulations, Jackie. That is the _deity_ of your bountiful harvests. Now come on. It's getting late, so let's wrap this up and get inside. We can talk about this in the morning."

"You promise you'll be there?" Hesitant, cornflower blue eyes peeking up at his otherworldly companion who snorts, rolling his eyes and gesticulates to the mess Jack's made tonight. "Yes, now pick this up and let's go before you catch your death."

Frowning at his choice of words, the blond's brows knit together as he cleans up his summoning area, thanks the earth, fire, wind and light for its help tonight before straightening up and heading back to the house as he mutters, "that isn't funny, Gabriel."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my very first fic I've written in this fandom and I'm a little nervous about posting it! It's 4:30 in the morning here as I'm posting this and I haven't slept yet, so this first chapter is probably a little rough. If you'd like to edit it for me, please let me know. I'm very excited to delve into the world I'm creating here and slowly build up the universe and the relationships in it. There will be plenty more characters to meet along the way besides Jack and his ghostly companion, so stick around for that! I may be slow on updating as I try to plan and flesh this universe out a bit more as this started on a rough idea and what ifs, so please bear with me.
> 
> I intend for this to be a slow burn, very involved multiple chapter fic, as I am a sucker for relationship and world building. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I will enjoy writing it!


End file.
